"Border Barrier No One Wants Grows Without Money to Slow Spread"

"Carrizo cane is the border wall no one wants.

A pernicious plant on the banks of the Rio Grande along the U.S.-Mexico border, carrizo cane (Arundo donax) grows as much as 30 feet tall and so thick that people entering the country illegally can easily hide in it. Border patrol officers can’t see into it. Infrared signals can’t penetrate it.

Its roots form in clumps that can spread for hundreds of feet and choke out native vegetation. It sucks up water to fuel its growth—up to seven inches per week—affecting the river’s flows and using up drinking water and water for livestock."

Tiffany Stecker reports for Bloomberg Environment February 20, 2019.